A Tale of Two Lands
by Windona
Summary: Link was ready to pull out the Master Sword. Yugi and Atemu were about to go into Atemu's memories. Then something happened- and in order to restore both places to normal, they must defeat all temples in both worlds.
1. Paralell

**Yes, a new story. Why, you ask? Because I have plot bunnies that I need to get out.**

**As usual, I do not own either Yu-Gi-Oh! or the Legend of Zelda series seeing as I couldn't spell 'computer' when they were made. Hope you enjoy this twist on both arcs.**

Sword from the Stone

Link sighed. Princess Zelda had thrown the deep blue Ocarina of Time to him, and through it taught him the Song of Time. He had the three stones he needed to open the exalted Temple of Time. The Kokiri Emerald shone a bright, dazzling green, reminiscent of the true beauty of the forest in which Link grew up.

_Yugi sighed with fond memories. He had collected all three Egyptian God Cards, saved the good Marik, and found out how to get the Pharaoh's memories back. He looked at the Winged Dragon of Ra, which was exceptionally golden and glorious, like the treasured gold of Egypt at its best._

After the Kokiri Emerald, he had collected the simple, yet burning, gem in the form of the Goron's Ruby. That was after he had learned of Ganondorf, his quest, and how to open the temple of time. He mentally smirked at the memory of Saria teaching him the song, and making Daria do a jig.

_Slifer the Sky Dragon was the first card he won, without knowing why the God Cards were so important to his past, but after learning that they were powerful and about Marik stealing them. It had a dark appearance with red skin and two leering mouths, but to Yugi it didn't appear malicious._

Last of all was the brilliant bright blue of the Zora's Saphire. He had gotten that after getting the spinning sword technique, Din's Fire, and Fayore's Wind. He had obtained the Boomerang, the scale, and without knowing it, became engaged to the Zora princess just by doing his job. **(1)**

_Then he looked at Obelisk the Tormentor. He had obtained Slifer before that, learned about many things from Shadi, and saw a window into Seto Kaiba's past. Unkowingly, he had made Kaiba come face to face with his past, both recent and from thousands of years ago. The deep blue and black motif reminded him of the sky before dawn._

Now was time.

_Now was time._

He played the song of time, which opened the door to the Sacred Realm in a heavy, sliding sound the bounded across the empty and otherwise silent and solemn temple. The realm where the Triforce rested was there, and in order to open that realm, he had to pull the legendary Masters Sword from its stone resting place. Link walked up onto the marble platform with a strange symbol he paid no heed to, thinking his quest was finally over. He had prevented Ganondorf from using the Triforce for his evil plans, and Hyrule was safe. A mental sigh of relief was there. **(2)**

_He walked up to the Museum, a few days after Battle City, and held the powerful cards in his hand. The door opened easily with a metal 'click' at his firm push. The Pharaoh, not yet known as Atem, would be able to open the realm of his memories. In order to finish his already long and arduous quest, he had to use the three god cards to open it with the right wording. Now the trouble with the Millennium Items would be over, and nobody else would threaten the world. Everything was now safe._

Neither realized how wrong they were, or what fate had in store for them.

_Neither realized how wrong they were, or what fate had in store for them._

However, even fate was confused.

_However, even fate was confused._

Such similar moments in two different worlds do not go unnoticed.

_Such similar moments in two different worlds do not go unnoticed._

The parallelism was enough.

_The parallelism was enough._

All that was left for Link was to pull the legendary bane of evil from the ground to stop the Triforce from getting into the wrong hands. His ten-year-old self had palms sweaty from nervousness, excitement, and the exercise of running there. Yellow blond hair stuck to his forehead and neck, above bright sky-blue eyes. The cool marble was felt beneath his leather-clad feet, contrasting with the heat of the town and the loud excitement. The air felt old, heavy and solemn. This was the moment of truth.

_All that was left for Yugi was to use the three God Cards at the tablet, the cards whose power was so great that people had been struck by lightening for using them wrongly. Now, the memories could prevent the Millennium Items ever being used for evil again. His shortness was noticed as he stood before the monster rock, sweat from being here in summer, and from the excitement and nervousness at what they might find. Friends looked at him in anticipation, and he raised his hand with the God Cards in them. It was his moment of truth._

Pulling with all his ten-year-old might, Link grabbed the glinting Master Sword and heaved it towards him. It came out surprisingly easily, and there was a flash of white light. He saw Ganondorf, with a menacing smile, before it faded. Then when Link opened his eyes, he was on the platform in a weird world where the sky was a weird swirling mass of black, purple and a dark blue. That was the first thing he noticed.

_Saying the words with force, and hoping that they would work, he held the God Cards up, spaced evenly. There was a flash of white light, and they, being Yami and Yugi, were in a place reminiscent of the Shadow Realm from so many heart-stopping and terrifying duels. They weren't in the museum anymore- that was the first thing they noticed._

The second thing Link noticed was that he was taller, and there were symbols on the floor in a neat ring around the central Triforce symbol etched in the ground, each one like it was stamped into the grayish stone.

_The second thing they noticed was that they were on a platform with a raised center, a weird design, and strange symbols on the ground, but no friends. No Anzu, Jou, or Honda to cheer him on._

The third thing Link noticed was that there were two other people here.

_The third thing they noticed is that there were two other people here._

One was an old man in yellow robes, standing on a yellow symbol with a short beard. The other one had the strangest hair and outfit. Black spikes had dark red trimming, and yellow highlights looked like lightening. He was wearing a tight, black top and tight black pants. He had black leather belts with metal studs, and a blue jacket worn as a cape. A bright gold pyramid hung upside down around his neck, by way of a thick chain. It had an eye symbol straight out of Kakoriko village. **(3) **His black belt had a rectangular container with brown cards in it, and a weird device was on his arm. It had five slots in it, arrows, and was white and pale blue with a 'KC' logo on it. His deep, violet eyes looked wise and ancient somehow.

_One was an old man in yellow robes, standing on a yellow symbol with a short, white beard, and short white hair. The other one was a taller person with a green tunic and white tights and a shirt on. He had leather boots, a sword, a shield with an intricate design, and a pack. His hair was as blonde as Yugi's lightening streaks, and his eyes were the color of the mid-day sky. He had a brown leather belt, and a bright blue, almost white orb with fairy wings hovering around him. The person had a green cap, that reminded Yugi of a cartoon sleeping hat from a Kirby game, or a Santa Claus hat. _**(4) **_A leather pack seemingly bulging with bombs was hanging from it, and an Ocarina was also in his belt. A crystal with something pale green and moving in the middle was the third thing there._

They looked at each other at the same time, with the same look and question upon their faces.

_They looked at each other at the same time, with the same look and question upon their faces._

"Who are you?"

"_Who are you?"_

**(1) Anyone else see a stunning parallel to GX? Or is it just me?**

**(2) Poor Link- his task wasn't even half way done, and it was suppose to be so easy.**

**(3) The symbol on Sheik's back looks like Horus' eye, so I thought that Link would think of it that way from getting the Song of the Sun in the Sheikah graveyard.**

**(4) Anyone who has seen that type of hat besides Christmas apparel, Link games, and video game/cartoony caps, please tell me. I'm curious where one finds them.**


	2. Boring Plot Stuff That's Interesting

Seven Years Gone

Link looked over the guy. He dressed oddly, and in dark colors usually reserved for those of bad intentions, or Impa. He had a feeling of confidence and wisdom, but seemed foreign.

Yugi felt as if Link was from an anime or comic book convention. He was holding a long sword with the same mark on the ground below him. He had sharp eyes, but something in him seemed young. This green-clad boy reminded him of Jou and Kaiba at the same time.

A deep-throated grunt caught Yugi and Link's attention. They looked at the yellow-clad man with slightly tanned skin and bleached white hair.

"This wasn't suppose to happen- but I think I know why" he said.

"What happened that wasn't suppose to?" Yugi asked. The Sage of Light sighed.

"First off, I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. Secondly, Link here-" Link nodded at this "just pulled the Master Sword out. However, Ganondorf came into the Sacred Realm and took the legendary Triforce, and stopped the other sages from awakening. Since Link was too young to do anything, we sealed his soul for seven years until he grew up enough to fight Ganondorf."

Link took this in- so that's what happened. He wanted to smash the ground in fury. Zelda and Link thought they were saving Hyrule from Ganondorf when they went to collect the gems- they never realized how flawed the plan was, or that Ganondorf would use their resistance as a stepping stone to gain the Triforce, the power of the Goddesses, and win. What havoc had Ganondorf wrecked in the past seven years? How was Malon, Saria, and Ruto? Did Zelda and Impa make it to safety? Were the Gorons, having just been saved from starvation, forced back into hunger and pain again? If only he hadn't been dumb enough to pull out the Master Sword- he was the only one who could, if legends were correct. However, Link contained his fury and self-loathing at past decisions to listen to the Sage of Light.

"For some reason, when Link pulled the sword out, your world and ours bled into each other a bit" he finished.

Yugi looked in shock. "But I'm not older- how did seven years past? What happened? How did they bleed into each other?" he asked, mind aghast.

"Half the temples that need to be defeated in order to awaken the Sages, so they can help the Hero of Time defeat Ganondorf, are in your world. Nobody aged, but it is as if seven years of change passed. But perhaps I should just explain all of what happened without questions, and introduce myself- I am Rauru, the Sage of Light."

Yugi nodded, and looked at Link. Determination to save everyone burned in their eyes, one set sky-blue, and the other midnight-purple.

"When the land of Hyrule was created, there were three Goddesses- Din, the goddess of power, who shaped this red earth with her fiery arms, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, gave the earth law- and Farore, the goddess of courage, whose rich spirit made the life forms to uphold the law. Their work being finished, they departed for heaven. At their departure, they left sacred golden triangles at each point each of them left. The three triangles form the Triforce, which lied here, in the Sacred Realm. This is the place you currently are in- the entrance here is the Temple of Time in Link's world. In your world, it is the museum."

Yugi nodded. Link looked at the Sage, and asked, "Wait, if there are two entrances to the Sacred Realm, does that mean there are two exits?"

The Sage nodded. "But your worlds are blending a bit; members from both worlds might appear where they do not belong."

Yugi's turn to ask a question had come.

"What does this Triforce do?"

"It grants a wish. If someone good obtains the Triforce, Hyrule is prosperous. If someone evil, well… I guess you'll see." It had ominous undertones to it, and Yugi mentally shivered. _It reminds me of what Shadi said about whoever holds all three Egyptain God Cards…_

"What is your name?" Link asked.

"Yugi. Yugi Moto."

Link had a slight look of confusion on his face once Yugi mentioned the word 'Moto'. Then Link dismissed it and turned to Rauru.

"If Yugi is to help us defeat half the temples, then he'll need to play the songs I have, and for the Song of Time to work." Link said.

Yugi's turn to look confused had come up. "Why would music be needed?"

Link gave Yugi a look. "These songs are probably the most valuable weapons I have. If not for them- and a healing fairy- the Redeads would have eaten me."

"Alright. Um, do you happen to have a tin flute? That's the only instrument I ever played" Yugi said.

Suddenly, the aforementioned tin flute appeared out of the mists of the surrounding area. "Now you have a way to play your songs. I add my power to yours, Heroes." Those were the words Rauru said, before the sky disappeared and left in its place the Temple of time. There were two doors; one that Link had come in from, and one that Yugi had come in from. They looked at each other, and Link taught Yugi how to play the Song of the Sun, Zelda's Lullaby, Saria's Song, and Epona's song.

"Here's a musical sheet if you ever forget; any songs of power are recorded on here, except for the Scarecrow's song, and that's because I made it up myself" Link explained. "Not like I ever used it, so I didn't teach it to you." Yugi nodded thoughtfully. _'Songs of power… sort of like the words you need to say to summon Ra.'_

"We should get going. I'll go to my world to defeat temples; you go to your side. I'll communicate with you through Saria's song if need be." Yugi said. Link nodded, and left through the Door of Time. Yugi went through the wall which he entered, and ended up in the museum after the wall waved and shimmered in his presence as it admitted him.

When Link entered the room with the three gems, he saw a man in blue clothes with short, blonde hair and sharp eyes. His robes were loose, and he had odd designs on his outfit.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time... When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples. One in a deep forest... One on a high mountain... One under a vast lake... One within the house of the dead... One inside a goddess of the sand... Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world. This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah. I am Sheik. Survivor of the Sheikahs. As I see you standing there holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time. If you believe the legend, you have no choice. You and your fairy must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages. One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know. Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple. But, if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to Kakariko Village. Do you understand, Link?"

Link looked at him, and nodded. "I understand. But how did you know I would be here? Or my name?"

"Wasn't there an owl in your youth that guided you? I am like him, but less repetitive, less annoying, and more useful. Now go."

With that, Link left for Kakoriko Village.

Yugi looked in the museum, and saw that the smiling, pretty face of Anzu was not there. Jou wasn't cheering him on with a goofy grin. Honda wasn't giving him a thumbs up or not-so-secretly mooning over Shizuka. The museum was quiet and dusty, making it feel as much as a relic as the items it contained. The sky was dark out, and everything felt as ominous as waking up Friday the 13th. The past was a ghost, and for the first time, the Pharaoh felt truly ancient.

Looking up, Yami drew in a breath that he and Yugi hadn't realized they needed. A woman dressed in a beautiful royal purple with a lavender sash was there. Her robes were a bit baggy, flowing, and had a nice shean. The sash tied at the waist accented curves, and ended at her ankles. Her hood hid her eyes, and only brown bangs showed through. Yugi and Yami had the sense of being looked at. Defeating the dust that had made Yugi want to sneeze was the smell of unobtrusive flowers near a lake at midnight.

Her voice was melodic, rich and deep when she spoke these words; "Yugi, the world has changed quite a bit in the last seven weeks. But you know how to fix it; I hear that an island soon to be developed into a school has had many visitors. I know for a fact that a friend of yours has come to help the plight. Unfortunately for you, you appear ill equipped. Cut some grass, and you may find something of worth." She threw him a leather sack with a sword and shield in it, along with a bow and a hook shot. "My name is Baset. This world is no longer as safe as it use to be, Hero." Then she threw a hand-sized almond shaped magenta and black with a yellow striped nut on the ground. Yugi flinched, and when the sweet smelling smoke wafted away, she was gone. Yugi stared at the place she had been for a while.

'_Yugi, it may have not been anyone you knew. Most likely she was from the other world.'_

'_I know, Pharaoh, but she might be one of my friends…'_

'_She doesn't sound like Anzu. Baset is quite tall compared to her.'_

'_Everyone looks tall to me'_

'_Point taken."_

At that point, Yugi and Yami stopped talking mentally, worried what the world would look like once they got out of the museum.

* * *

Link walked out of the Temple of Time, and immediately noticed the difference. The sky was a stormy gray instead of the normal faded blue. The air had the sound of a sucking noise that hurt one's head, and Link looked around.

Death Mountain, which had looked rocky, tall, and slightly scary, was now terrifying to look at. The shape of the rocks seemed to scream and wickedly laugh at him. The clouds surrounding the top of the mountain were an eerie red, bright and glowing, but fast-moving and casting a blood-red hew around the place. Remembering where he was, Link looked at the rest of the buildings in the immediate area.

Not even the Temple of Time seemed untouched. The immaculate cleanness it possessed just moments before (seven years earlier, he had to remind himself) had disappeared. The stone appeared smoky, as if the temple was burned, and grimy. Looking up, the Triforce symbol was barely visible. Glancing around, all the buildings looked to be in a state of disrepair and abandonment. Trees had shed their greenery in preparation for an eternal winter, looking desolate and abandoned. Grass had lost its green shine, and a stench filled the air. The temperature was uncomfortable in every which way, and it resulted in a tinny taste in his mouth.

Taking all of this in, he sighed. Turning to Navi, he said, "Let's go" and jogged into the market square.


	3. One Step Forward? Mankind?

**Hello! Yes, I took forever to update it. No, I won't make an excuse. In the words of Commander Vimes; "If you start making good excuses, you start making bad ones". I do not look like the genius behind either series, so I don't own it. And as always, I would like to thank Vampiric Dragonrider for helping me edit and improve all of my stories. Enjoy!**

Run and Hunt

Yugi stepped out of the museum. The air was thick with a smoggy darkness, and it was dark. It seemed to originate and augment at Kaiba Corp tower, slowly branching out like a disease. Everything was cast in a gloomy and dreary light- or darkness, you could call it. He looked at the rough asphalt road ahead.

_I don't want to be any closer to the Kaiba Corp tower then I have to, but I need to go through downtown Domino to get to my house and see what has happened._

With this dreary thought, Yugi went at a gentle jog with his ridiculous hair getting in his eyes and scratching him. Then, the slight scent of rotting entered his nose.

_What was… that?_

The air was still, but a gentle moan was heard in the air. Despite all this, Yugi pressed onwards.

What he saw downtown made him want to yell, but fear prevented him from saying a sound. The smell of rot and the groans had been coming from a small mob of zombie duel monsters and these unrecognizable creatures that looked like rotten, mottled skin pulled over thin bones. That is when Yami took over.

Taking out the tin flute, he remembered Link's words about the Sun Song. '_For making day into night and night into day- or freezing the undead temporarily'._As quickly as he could, Yami played the sun song with stiff fingers and sweaty palms.

The effect was instantaneous. The undead creatures turned white and moved even less. Yami ran towards Yugi's house, praying that he would make it.

***

Navi's blue glow lighting the way, Link went into the center of market town. He almost froze in fear at those creatures. If it hadn't been for a fairy in a bottle, Navi, and some running, he would never have gotten the Sun Song to get out of there alive…

The Sun Song! Link's fingers went over the smooth ocarina's surface to find the right holes for playing the notes. He repeated the triad, and all the redeads blurred past him as he ran. Only when he was at the broken bridge did Link realize he saw some gray redeads wrapped in what looked like white cloth. He sighed. If red redeads were bad enough, then what about these new gray redeads that appeared?

Shaking his head, Link saw Lon Lon Ranch. The fate of Hyrule and this 'other world' that the other character had come from could wait a few minutes. After all, he had to see what became of Malon and Epona. Maybe he could even get some milk, even though he knew he had three fairies in bottles on him to revive him upon death to full health.

Running through the entrance, Link didn't stop until he reached the center ring with the horses. Outside of the gate he saw the stern and bushy-browed Ingo. Link walked up to him.

"Ah! Young man, would you like to ride one of these horses for 10 rupees?" Ingo asked in a cheery voice, laced with a hint of superiority.

Link nodded. The gate was opened. Taking out his ocarina, he played Epona's Song. Fingers that were rough with calluses from multiple fights were sure in playing the ocarina as the slightly melancholy tone was played. Sure enough, a horse with a dark coat and light mane came running towards him. Link swung on Epona's back, and rode around, spurring her on occasion. He managed to jump over both fences.

With a slight movement of his feet, Link guided Epona towards Ingo.

"Say, you're making an improvement in horse riding. How about a wager? 50 rupees to whoever can win in a race around the track?"

Even though it felt like Ingo was smirking, Link accepted.

Epona was showered with compliments whispered into her large ear as she was lead to the starting line. The air was hot with dust, yet no sweat was in Epona's rough fur. Ingo started the count down. "One, two, three, START!"

The race was on. Cutting Ingo off, Link gained the lead. Then he spurred Epona on, encouraging her to go faster but to not exhaust herself as skin rippled and sweat formed on both the rider and the horse. Rounding the corner, they shot off on the strait-away. Then Link rounded the other side of the oblong loop, and they sprinted to the finish, beating Ingo by a good amount.

After Ingo dismounted, he stomped the ground and cursed. "Alright! How about we race again! If you win this time… then you get the horse!"

Link nodded at the thought. Using Epona, he could ride to the temples much more easily and save so much time.

Rounding up to the start again, Link used the same strategy as last time of cutting Ingo off and then spurring on forward and sprinting at the end. The result was the same.

Ingo cursed again, and then gave a sinister smirk. "I was going to give her to lord Ganondorf. But yes, you can own Epona… but she will stay in the ranch!" At those reverberating words, the stiff white wooden gates closed. Link rolled his eyes, and spurred Epona on as fast as possible towards a wall. At the moment when she jumped over the wall, the air had no power, and Link was a god. He felt invincible, as if nothing could stop him with Epona. When they landed, the feeling was naught but a distant memory. Using his feet instead of his hands, Link rode Epona to Kakoriko village.

***

Opening the door, Yugi started panting. Then he took a look around.

The shop had the usual Duel Monsters merchandise on one wall, all lined up and assorted in the usual order. On the other side of the wall, there was a multitude of new items in the deep table. Some seeds that were similar to the one Baset had used to disappear were there. A sign labeled them as Deku Nuts for 100 yen each, or 10 rupees. A bundle of sticks labeled as Deku Sticks were also being sold, along with a fairy in a bottle, arrows, a shield labeled as 'Hyrulian', a Deku Shield, and a heart. One question resonated in the shared minds, however.

_Aibou, what are rupees? I haven't heard of them before.I don't know, Yami. Maybe it has something to do with Link's world?_

_Yugi called out for his grandpa. Nobody came. It was only then that Yugi realized the gray haze of dust over everything, and how sparse the new merchandise was. Some of it was chewed up, some was unusable. Yugi grabbed all of the good things in a bag. Then, with a heavy sigh, he walked out towards the dock._

_***_

Link dismounted at the foot of the steps to Kakariko Village. Running up, he saw the familiar tree and windmill. He sighed, seeing Kakariko village for the first time in seven years, even though it had only been two days for him. He shook his head, and decided to see what was in the windmill. He thought he saw a heart piece in there when he was younger, and wanted to see if he could get at it. After all, Link needed all the stamina he could get.

When he entered, he saw the man playing a song. Out of curiosity, Link talked to him.

"What's the song you are playing?" asked our hero in tights who doesn't have a secret identity.

"A song some annoying little brat would play here all the time seven years ago on his blue ocarina. Here, I'll teach it to you" the old man said.

Link looked at what he was playing, and copied it. First a low note, then a medium low note, then a high note. Then he repeated it, and added a little extra melody at the end.

Navi looked at the page which contained the notes to learned songs of power. As it started raining in the windmill, Navi stated "Look Link! You've learned the Song of Storms!"

"Nice to know, Navi. I'm getting out of here before I get soaked."


End file.
